PARIS: Spikes has personal accolades; now he wants his ring

SAN DIEGO — A spiffy Takeo Spikes emerges from the Chargers'
locker room, clean shaven and clean of any jewelry.

And that is why he's in San Diego.

"I'm chasing a ring,'' Spikes said Friday at Chargers Park. "I
don't give a (hoot) about Pro Bowls; it's political and I've been
to them. I don't care about this guy or that guy getting publicity.
I just want to win.''

A winner — that's Spikes. A winner who has never been to the
playoffs — that's Spikes, too.

Despite a 15-year career with two Pro Bowl and All-Pro
selections, Spikes hasn't seen the postseason. But when eyeing the
Chargers' roster, he pictures himself being there.

"The players are obvious; we have players,'' said Spikes, who
came aboard as a free agent after three seasons in San Francisco.
"I have been to places where we haven't had players. I think,
bottom line, at the end of the day, is how bad do we want it?''

That has been the chicken vs. the egg question in these parts
for far too long.

The Chargers, it seems, always have the personnel to encourage
preseason hype of predicted greatness. Then the Chargers start
slow, rally late, and face-plant in the playoffs — if they even
make them, something they didn't do last year.

When Spikes learned that the Chargers have only one playoff win
in the last three years, he was shocked.

"I didn't know that,'' he said.

It's clear why Spikes was acquired, and it's about more than
plugging him in the middle at inside linebacker. General manager
A.J. Smith told Spikes there's a void in Mission Valley.

"He said he needed leadership,'' Spikes relayed. "He said, 'We
know you can play; we all know you can make plays. But I need
something that others can't bring to the table. I need
leadership.'

"That's not me going out and doing something different — just be
who I am and just do what I do.''

Still, Spikes needs to do more than lead cheers. Among the
questions swirling around training camp is the Chargers' run
defense.

Management made a concerted effort to upgrade that area,
drafting defensive end Corey Liuget in the first round, signing
Spikes to a three-year deal, and snagging safety Bob Sanders. When
the NFL's top two rushing teams from 2010 share your division —
Kansas City, Oakland — being stout against the run is a
requirement.

So here comes Spikes, a 15-year pro, saying all the right things
and eager to get right after it. With the passion of a preacher and
the conviction of a saint, Spikes can give the Chargers his Sunday
best.

"How willing are we to drop the egos and just do the extra
things to get to that point,'' he said. "It's going to be important
for us to just gel together.''

The one-for-all, all-for-one mantra got a late start with the
absence of an offseason. And until the sweat hits the fan, no one —
not even Spikes — can tell how dedicated this collection of
Chargers is.